I’m a die hard pho fan but it’s not the best when you’re watching your carbohydrate intake. One bowl of this amazing soup could be over 100 grams of carbs (that’s almost my whole day!). This low carb recipe combines my favorite pho with an easy to make version. I also buy the stock already made and tweak it to create a more flavorful and fun dish. Use these fitness tips to have your pho without all the excess MSG and water retaining carbs!
Low Carb Recipe Monday
Ingredients for Spaghetti Squash Pho
- 2 cartons – Pho Stalk. I use this and then add some tweaks to make it more flavorful. Since I am adding chicken, I use the chicken version.
- 2 – 4 chicken breast. I like using a lot because I love extra protein.
- Also serve with big handful of Fresh Thai basil leave, bean sprouts, minced cilantro
- Green onions
- 1 – 2 Limes cut into quarter
- 1 – 2 Fresh jalapeños: thinly sliced (optional)
- Hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and Sriracha hot sauce (optional)
Tweaking Your Pho Stalk
- One of the best fitness hacks you can make to you pho stalk is cooking your chicken breast IN the stalk.
- Add stalk to pot.
- Set to hi and wait until it boils
- Add chicken breast and any other seasoning you might want and reduce heat to medium hi.
- Personally I LOVE Herbamare and I think it’s one of the BEST things you can add to this stalk and any healthy recipes you make. It’s a staple in my spice cabinet!
- Boil the chicken in your stalk for 12 -15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
- Remove from stalk and allow to cool.
How to cook the Spaghetti Squash in the Oven
Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.
Brush the flesh with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
Place the squash halves cut-side up on a baking sheet and roast until fork tender, about 50 minutes.
Remove the squash from the oven and let sit at room temperature until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.Scrape the flesh with a fork to make long strands; set aside.
How to cook the Spaghetti Squash in a Crock Pot
In a crock pot, placed the whole spaghetti squash in, pour in 1/3 cup of water. Turn on low heat, and cook for 3 hours. When you can easily poke a knife thru the squash, it is done! Place the squash on a easy-to-work-with surface, like a cooking sheet. Let it cool for about 15 minutes. Now cut the squash into halves. Remove the unwanted seeds with a spoon, disgard. Then scrape off the noodle like flesh with the spoon again, transfer to a plate or bowl, separate into 4 equal servings, and sit aside till needed (source).
Shred the chicken by hand once it’s cooled enough to touch.
In a big soup bowl, gather a serving of spaghetti squash. Pour hot soup and some chicken over it. Add in sliced onions and minced cilantro. On a separate plate, place sprouts, basil, lime and jalapenos.
Squeeze the quartered lime wedge directly in your soup. Grab a handful of sprouts, pick off the basil leave from the stem and add it directly to the hot soup as well. Depending on how spicy you can handle, add in jalapeno slices. Stir, so that the hot soup can slowly cook the sprouts and basil in your bowl. Squeeze in a little hoisin and hot sauce for extra flavoring.
The lime in this recipe really makes ALL the difference because it acts as the glue to combine all the flavors of the soup. If you want to add a little bit of carbs to this recipe try using some spaghetti squash and some rice noodles. You can get the best of both worlds while still enjoying this low carb recipe.
Adria
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